Action Research Update

I feel truly blessed to work with amazing teachers and a site supervisor that support my efforts to obtain a graduate degree.  In spite of our busy schedules they have rallied to bring this plan to fruition.  Without their help I would not be able to complete my action research. 

To date we have evaluated STAAR data and the results substantiated what we already thought, ELL and EC kids are our target populations.  Throughout August we teamed up and did some in-house workshops, which resulted in the creation of our master math vocabulary lists.  During the summer workshops we also decided to implement whole brain teaching techniques as one of our strategies to intentionally teach academic vocabulary.   Each of the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th grade classrooms created academic word walls in all four content areas.  Although math is our focus, we decided if would be worth the effort to carry the strategies over to ELA, science and social studies, too.

We have not created a math vocabulary assessment because we decided to use the assessments that come with our calendar math program.  We gave the pre-assessment at the beginning of the school year and there are monthly assessments as well as a post-assessment.  The program is vocabulary driven so we felt it would meet our needs at this time.  This is something we may re-evaluate next year.  We will also be able to rely on STAAR data for this year. 

The research shows the vocabulary of ELL and EC kids to be a fraction of the vocabulary of other subpopulations. My site supervisor has wholeheartedly bought into our focus on vocabulary.  We have also implemented a school-wide Word of the Day.  These words generally have a weeklong theme.  For example, during Freedom Week all the words connected to patriotism.  I created a word wall the entire student body walks by four times a day.  In my own classroom these words create some lively discussions in hopes of building every students’ vocabulary.

In spite of our busy schedules, we plan to meet each six weeks to possibly add new strategies and evaluate the monthly assessment data. 

EDLD 5301 Reflections

I dreaded taking EDLD 5301 Action Research, because I have such terrible memories of research during college.  Obviously, I had no idea what action research was, and it turned out to not be at all what I expected.  I actually enjoyed bouncing inquiry ideas around with my site supervisor, and creating a step-by-step plan on the template.  When I presented my final plan she quickly approved it and offered me some of her own references.

Each week I would watch the video(s), read the required passages, check facebook for strategies, and then begin my assignments.  I am sure I could have completed this course without facebook, but that piece of my weekly protocol gave me great insight into this course and into what I feel was the most important thing that I learned during these past five weeks.

I learned that action research involved intentionally pursuing research in an area that interests me and impacts my students and my school.  I learned that reflection is a key component of action research, and it should be practiced until it becomes a habit.  I learned that all site supervisors are different, and it is crucial to pursue good communication in your relationship with your mentor. I learned that I am capable of blogging, which is something that I had never considered doing before.  But, the most important thing I learned is how much an action research plan benefits from sharing ideas and opinions with peers, and that brings me back to my facebook comment. I believe I have learned more through facebook statuses, discussion threads, blogging, and reading and rereading comments than the actual course texts. I think that looking through the lens of each individual inquiry, we were able to offer specific, usable advice and receive relevant feedback on our plans.

In conclusion, after I overcame my aversion to research and educated myself on action research, I really had fun with this class.  Mostly, I am thankful to have the rest of you soon-to-be administrators along for the ride on this journey through educational administration.

Updates on my Action Research Plan

This summer I taught two sessions of summer school, so fortunately I have been in constant contact with my site supervisor during this class.  She has allowed me to verbally process with her all my different wonderings through meeting, emails, and texts.  Before I submitted my second week’s assignment she had approved my action research question and handed me several books to help with my research.  So, today when I went to her office and showed her my plan on the template, she read it over with me and said, “That looks great.”   The only thing I changed today was the wording of my goal statement.  It seemed a bit redundant so I clarified it and made it more specific.

In back tracking to previous conferences with my site supervisor she did give me several pieces of advice and I made a few revisions before I submitted the assignment in week four.  My action research plan originally targeted math and science vocabulary.  We agreed to begin with math and possibly add science at second semester of even next year.  As we brainstormed ideas, she came up with the idea for an elementary-wide word wall in the cafeteria.  We later changed it to a hallway on the way to the cafeteria and music room.  I have reread the comments from last week and am making some changes and adding the suggested strategies to my plan. 

I feel very blessed to have a site supervisor that has been so willing to help me be successful, and I am grateful for all the support from those of you on this journey with me.

Action Research Plan Tammy Brown
Goal: Determine whether the implementation of intentional academic vocabulary strategies in math increase student success.
Action Step(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline Start/End:	Needed Resources:	Evaluation:
Evaluate 2012 and 2013 Math STAAR Data in grades 3-5 to determine areas of need	Tammy Brown	8/13-9/13	3rd-5th grade STAAR data	Make spreadsheet with 2012 and 2013 STAAR Math data in grade 3-5
Meet with 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teachers to create a math academic vocabulary word list	Tammy Brown 3rd-5th grade teachers	8/13	Lists of math vocabulary	Create grade level word lists from teacher suggested resources
Develop grade level math tests which are vocabulary driven to administer as a pretest, benchmark and posttest (Math Academic Vocabulary Survey)	Tammy Brown	8/13	List of math vocabulary chosen from meeting (Hunt Math Academic Vocabulary Lists)	Develop math tests at 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade levels that are vocabulary driven using the teacher created list of academic vocabulary
Administer pretest (Math Academic Vocabulary Survey) in grades 3-5	Tammy Brown 3rd-5th grade teachers	9/13	Grade level vocabulary pretests
Research vocabulary strategies	Tammy Brown	8/13-9/13	Marzano’s Building Academic Vocabulary and other resources from site supervisor	Suggested strategies: 1. Academic word walls in classrooms and cafeteria 2. Student created picture dictionaries to travel throughout 3rd-5th grade 3. Whole Brain Techniques
Meet with 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teachers to determine areas of need from the pretest	Tammy Brown 3rd-5th grade teachers	9/13	Vocabulary pretest data, TEKS, and Hunt Math Academic Vocabulary Lists	Determine student areas of need by TEK
Teachers choose three strategies to implement during first 12 weeks	3rd-5th grade teachers	9/13	Marzano’s Building Academic Vocabulary and other resources from site supervisor	Suggested strategies: 1. Academic word walls in classrooms and cafeteria 2. Student created picture dictionaries to travel throughout 3rd-5th grade 3. Whole Brain Techniques
Administer mid-year Math Academic Vocabulary Survey in grades 3-5	3rd-5th grade teachers	12/13	Grade level Math Academic Vocabulary Survey
Evaluate the results and assess areas of need from the mid-year benchmark	Tammy Brown	12/13	Pretest and mid-year results	Determine student areas of need and compare results to determine progress
Share the data with 3rd-5th grade teachers, fine-tune as necessary	Tammy Brown 3rd-5th grade teachers	1/14	Math Academic Vocabulary Survey results data and TEKS	Share results, areas of need and areas of progress
Continue to implement strategies in new math objectives for second 12 weeks	3rd-5th grade teachers	1/14-3/14	Marzano’s Building Academic Vocabulary and other resources from site supervisor	Suggested strategies: 1. Academic word walls in classrooms and cafeteria 2. Student created picture dictionaries to travel throughout 3rd-5th grade 3. Whole Brain Techniques
Administer end of year Math Academic Vocabulary Survey posttest in grades 3-5	3rd-5th grade teachers	4/14	Math Academic Vocabulary Survey
Assemble the data from the three Math Academic Vocabulary Surveys at each grade level	Tammy Brown	4/14	Data from all three Surveys at each grade level	Assemble data on a spreadsheet to determine progress
Administer Math STAAR in grades 3-5	3rd-5th grade teachers	4/14	3rd, 4th and 5th grade STAAR Tests
Evaluate 2014 STAAR Math results and Compare with 2012 and 2013 results in grades 3-5	Tammy Brown	5/14	3rd-5th STAAR Math results	Assemble data on a spreadsheet
Meet with 3rd-5th grade teachers and site supervisor to present findings of this action research inquiry	Tammy Brown 3rd-5th grade teachers Site Supervisor	6/14	Data from STAAR Math test and Math Academic Surveys	Compare both sets of data to determine progress and effectiveness

Things I'm Learning

I spent the past week in Colorado with four of my boys hiking and fishing.  I thought there would be some down time to rest, watch my school videos, and read.  Between the hiking, fishing and little internet connection I didn't get much accomplished on my week's assignments, but I'm not complaining!  I finally read the assignment and two things really impacted me.  One, was the analogy about the hikers preparing to hike.  On one of our Colorado hikes we did not prepare well or read a weather report.  So, when my son and I showed up at the top of a mountain in shorts and the temperature read 48 degrees we were a little wary about starting our six mile hike.  But we each had a jacket and so off we went.  About a mile in it began to rain, and we got pretty chilly.  The good news is it stopped and then it warmed up and we caught lots of trout!  It is that way with action research.  I think you must get yourself prepared and be ready for the bumps in the road for good results to be produced in your research.  

The other thing that I learned this week was the value of reflection in many areas of my life.  As I trekked over the trails next to noisy creeks, I had lots of time for reflection.  It was then that I realized the worth of reflection.  As a Christian I try to read the Bible on a daily basis, and when I take the time to reflect and  journal my thoughts they seem to "stick" better.  Applying this revelation to action research makes perfect sense.  Taking the time to ponder and then scribbling a few notes will make this journey in action research worthwhile. 

My action research project is: Will specific strategies implemented to improve academic vocabulary across the grade levels improve test scores and student success rates of ELL and Economically Disadvantaged students?  I was pretty certain before my trip that this is what I wanted to research, but after spending hours reflecting on the trail and driving there and back,  I'm in!

Some Ways Educational Leaders Might Use Blogs

Blogs are distinctive because people are writing about thoughts and ideas they have on their heart and basically “thinking out loud.”  Educators can use blogs to hear honest explanations of other expert’s thoughts, comment on them, and to share their own inspirations. The give and take of blogging can be a unique place to learn, reflect and share, not just for educators, but students, too. 

After visiting some of the educational blogs, I think blogging is a great tool for students. Instead of writing solely for school related assignments, students can learn to write well enough to publish their own blogs and this could continue after they finish their formal education. As the “head-learner” of your school, modeling blogging could trickle down and impact the staff and students.

What I Have Learned About Action Research

Action Research:  What I Have Learned

I was dreading this class because I really disliked research during my high school and college days (a very long time ago).  I felt like I researched for research sake and there was no redeeming purpose.  The word “research” had a bad connotation for me, but then I learned about ACTION research.  Action research goes beyond traditional research because it is initiated by the local experts, not outsiders, and involves problems and situations that are relevant to YOUR school.

After choosing an area of inquiry, an administrator reads literature on that subject to create a practical plan or project that creates data and can be evaluated.  When you take the time to investigate and expound on a selected issue, why not go one step further and see if the research is viable by putting it to the test in a project and then reflect on the results?

I believe what makes action research so powerful is finding a problem or area of interest to you as an administrator, something that peaks your curiosity, that will make a difference in your school. Action research utilizes the unique situations of individual schools with their own set of students, and solves issues that are problematic to that particular school. The action research data and findings may make remarkable improvements to that specific school.